Grant Pierce James Monroe Born April 24th, 1758 in Westmoreland, Virginia – Died on July 4th, 1831 in New York, New York Political Part: Democratic-Republican Terms: March 4th, 1817- March 4th, 1825 Vice President: Daniel D. Tompkins March 4th, 1817- March 4th, 1825
Thematic Context
During James Monroe’s Presidency the American Identity was advanced on several occasions. During his seventh State of the Union Address Monroe made a bold statement to the world that would later be coined as the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine was directly aimed at European nations and stated that America would not meddle with previously established European colonies as long as the Europeans would leave the remainder of North America and South America alone. This followed the War of 1812 in which Americans held their own giving Monroe the confidence to make such a bold statement. Monroe’s Doctrine displayed that America meant business and also asserted America as a rising power. Nationalism was still on the rise and this doctrine was merely a way to show America’s renewed confidence in its own identity. With this statement Monroe boosted both America’s opinion of itself but also Europe’s opinion and respect of America. Another development in the American Identity under Monroe’s presidency was the Missouri Compromise. Missouri applied to become a slave state in 1819 which would have thrown off the balance of non-slave and slave states in the nation. During this time period the nation was growing increasingly more and more divided primarily over the slavery debate. From the bickering rose the Missouri Compromise which resolved the problem at hand but only prolonged the bigger question as to whether or not slavery should continue. The bill managed to “evenly” split up the states into the north, free states, and the south, slave states. Any new territory above 36/30 degrees north would become a free state and anything below that line a slave state, Missouri of course being the only exception to this rule. With this bill in place everyone could take a deep breath as the crisis was averted but still the sectionalism remained. The Missouri proceedings had a dual effect on the American Identity; while it did solve things it only accentuated the sectionalism throughout all of America.
Thesis
James Madison was the last of the Revolutionary War era presidents and marked the end of America’s First Party System. A great start to his presidency was neutrality in the South American affairs. His terms followed the War of 1812 which included both the Era of Good Feelings then later the not so popular Panic of 1819, but there was not much he could have done on that front. His primary accomplishment was The Monroe Doctrine that warned Europeans to leave the not previously established portions of both North America and South America alone a good step in foreign affairs. On top of that he was also responsible for expanding America’s borders to the Spanish Florida, always a plus. On the down side Monroe and Jackson’s involvement in the Seminole wars leading up to the ceding of Florida sparked some controversy. Adding to Monroe’s record was the application of Missouri for statehood leading to the Missouri Compromise a mildly good thing. Monroe also vetoed the Cumberland Road Bill which was a good decision because many citizens were already angered over the level of government involvement and improvements they were trying to make. Overall he managed the country well through thick and thin earning him an honorable A- for his contributions to America.
Goals
Unity was of the utmost importance to Monroe and he thought that a more unified country would be better off than a divided nation. This priority of his a very noble one because despite the nationalism that America was undergoing after the War of 1812 along with it came sectionalism. Sectionalism came near is tipping point when Missouri applied for the right to enter the union as a state which would have ruined the balance of free states to slave states. Together the North and the South met in the middle and thus the Missouri Compromise came to be but this only solved the problem of splitting up the states equally which in reality increased sectionalism not unity. Also on Monroe’s to-do-list was foreign affairs more specifically Europe’s involvement in the other parts of North America and South America where the Spaniards continued to force their own biddings upon the majority of the continent. Monroe gave a speech later deemed The Monroe Doctrine that blatantly stated that America would not stand to see Europe’s continued involvement and they should leave any unclaimed land be. This move was a positive one for America and for the most part foreign relations were good. Last but not least Monroe sought to improve the inner-workings of America more specifically transportation. These ideas he had as to the improvement of the internals of America were recognized as The American System and while he had pretty big plans only a few of them came to be. Among the improvements he did manage to make was the Cumberland Road which he extended and fixed up.
Relationship with Congress
For the most part Congress and the president were their own separate entities neither having much need to meddle in the others’ affairs especially during the Era of Good Feelings but things changed with the Missouri Compromise. Everyone including Monroe was in on trying to solve the issue of Missouri’s statehood; he did however try his best to not overstay his welcome and certainly didn’t want to be accused of forcing his opinion on Congress. There were no disagreements on that issue and things worked out okay in the end. Monroe became more involved with Congress when he went to them about The American System which was his idea of improving America. They didn’t see eye to eye and Monroe vetoed the bill that Congress put forth but later passed other bills calling for transportation improvements.
Events
A definite negative event during Monroe’s presidency was the Panic of 1819 which marked America’s first significant financial crisis. It most definitely was not Monroe’s fault but they could have seen this coming a little better and fixed the horrid banking system which was flawed in every manner. Some critics say that he could have done more to lessen the effects and they would be right. The Monroe administration did absolutely nothing in response to the economic crisis and instead just rode it out. Unemployment levels spiked, banks went under, it was chaos and meanwhile the Monroe situation sat idly by offering only pity for those out of a job. Another negative event during Monroe’s time in office was his dealings during the Seminole Wars and the Spanish who were also involved. Controversy surrounded Monroe when Andrew Jackson supposedly under orders of Monroe attacked parts of the Spanish controlled Florida. Tensions became high between America and Spain and it was all due to a mishap, miscommunication, or just Monroe’s inability to control his army. This slight mix up could have thrust a still recovering America into war and did not look good on Monroe’s behalf.
On the Positive side Monroe did accomplish quite a few good things in his time too. One of the first things he did as president of America was launch national tours in which we traveled around giving speeches and meeting with everyday citizens. This however small feat had a big effect: it reduced political tensions and improved the sense of nationalism. His tours were so popular in fact that he decided to schedule two more. Monroe’s tours were an extension of the Era of Good Will and also lead to his reelection, a small but noble action. In addition to his trust building tours Monroe also managed to expand the Continental U.S.’s borders. After a short scuffle involving Andrew Jackson Spain and America were on negotiating terms and things went very well for the U.S. With the backing of his administration Monroe purchased Florida from the Spaniards for $5 million. This added to America’s size and also to its culture by integrating the natives and the remaining Spaniards into the growing nation.
Influential Action
The Monroe Doctrine definitely had lasting effects on Washington in the sense of American confidence. Even though America most likely could not have backed up their claims and the world knew that, it demanded other nations’ respect and makes America out to be a top contender. The statement also put a stop to European expansion in North and South America. Monroe starts this trend of America being the protector of freedom whether it be that of South America or the rest of the world. These standards stand true today as America still assumes the role of sticking up for the underdog and providing aid and assistance to countries in need.
Conclusion
Monroe was blessed with the economic growth and sense of nationalism following the War of 1812 and he managed to keep things that way for a while then the Panic hit and things went downhill fast. He did however manage to get things back to about where they were when he initially took office. Overall the nation wasn’t that much better off if not a little worse off as Monroe exited the Whitehouse as they were going in at least economically speaking. His popularity was not phased much by the happenings of his presidency and nationalism continued to prevail despite the growing sectionalism. Many volatile, unavoidable situations arose during his presidency and he handled them well thus earning him an A-.
Grant Pierce
James Monroe
Born April 24th, 1758 in Westmoreland, Virginia – Died on July 4th, 1831 in New York, New York
Political Part: Democratic-Republican
Terms: March 4th, 1817- March 4th, 1825
Vice President: Daniel D. Tompkins March 4th, 1817- March 4th, 1825
Thematic Context
During James Monroe’s Presidency the American Identity was advanced on several occasions. During his seventh State of the Union Address Monroe made a bold statement to the world that would later be coined as the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine was directly aimed at European nations and stated that America would not meddle with previously established European colonies as long as the Europeans would leave the remainder of North America and South America alone. This followed the War of 1812 in which Americans held their own giving Monroe the confidence to make such a bold statement. Monroe’s Doctrine displayed that America meant business and also asserted America as a rising power. Nationalism was still on the rise and this doctrine was merely a way to show America’s renewed confidence in its own identity. With this statement Monroe boosted both America’s opinion of itself but also Europe’s opinion and respect of America. Another development in the American Identity under Monroe’s presidency was the Missouri Compromise. Missouri applied to become a slave state in 1819 which would have thrown off the balance of non-slave and slave states in the nation. During this time period the nation was growing increasingly more and more divided primarily over the slavery debate. From the bickering rose the Missouri Compromise which resolved the problem at hand but only prolonged the bigger question as to whether or not slavery should continue. The bill managed to “evenly” split up the states into the north, free states, and the south, slave states. Any new territory above 36/30 degrees north would become a free state and anything below that line a slave state, Missouri of course being the only exception to this rule. With this bill in place everyone could take a deep breath as the crisis was averted but still the sectionalism remained. The Missouri proceedings had a dual effect on the American Identity; while it did solve things it only accentuated the sectionalism throughout all of America.
Thesis
James Madison was the last of the Revolutionary War era presidents and marked the end of America’s First Party System. A great start to his presidency was neutrality in the South American affairs. His terms followed the War of 1812 which included both the Era of Good Feelings then later the not so popular Panic of 1819, but there was not much he could have done on that front. His primary accomplishment was The Monroe Doctrine that warned Europeans to leave the not previously established portions of both North America and South America alone a good step in foreign affairs. On top of that he was also responsible for expanding America’s borders to the Spanish Florida, always a plus. On the down side Monroe and Jackson’s involvement in the Seminole wars leading up to the ceding of Florida sparked some controversy. Adding to Monroe’s record was the application of Missouri for statehood leading to the Missouri Compromise a mildly good thing. Monroe also vetoed the Cumberland Road Bill which was a good decision because many citizens were already angered over the level of government involvement and improvements they were trying to make. Overall he managed the country well through thick and thin earning him an honorable A- for his contributions to America.
Goals
Unity was of the utmost importance to Monroe and he thought that a more unified country would be better off than a divided nation. This priority of his a very noble one because despite the nationalism that America was undergoing after the War of 1812 along with it came sectionalism. Sectionalism came near is tipping point when Missouri applied for the right to enter the union as a state which would have ruined the balance of free states to slave states. Together the North and the South met in the middle and thus the Missouri Compromise came to be but this only solved the problem of splitting up the states equally which in reality increased sectionalism not unity. Also on Monroe’s to-do-list was foreign affairs more specifically Europe’s involvement in the other parts of North America and South America where the Spaniards continued to force their own biddings upon the majority of the continent. Monroe gave a speech later deemed The Monroe Doctrine that blatantly stated that America would not stand to see Europe’s continued involvement and they should leave any unclaimed land be. This move was a positive one for America and for the most part foreign relations were good. Last but not least Monroe sought to improve the inner-workings of America more specifically transportation. These ideas he had as to the improvement of the internals of America were recognized as The American System and while he had pretty big plans only a few of them came to be. Among the improvements he did manage to make was the Cumberland Road which he extended and fixed up.
Relationship with Congress
For the most part Congress and the president were their own separate entities neither having much need to meddle in the others’ affairs especially during the Era of Good Feelings but things changed with the Missouri Compromise. Everyone including Monroe was in on trying to solve the issue of Missouri’s statehood; he did however try his best to not overstay his welcome and certainly didn’t want to be accused of forcing his opinion on Congress. There were no disagreements on that issue and things worked out okay in the end. Monroe became more involved with Congress when he went to them about The American System which was his idea of improving America. They didn’t see eye to eye and Monroe vetoed the bill that Congress put forth but later passed other bills calling for transportation improvements.
Events
A definite negative event during Monroe’s presidency was the Panic of 1819 which marked America’s first significant financial crisis. It most definitely was not Monroe’s fault but they could have seen this coming a little better and fixed the horrid banking system which was flawed in every manner. Some critics say that he could have done more to lessen the effects and they would be right. The Monroe administration did absolutely nothing in response to the economic crisis and instead just rode it out. Unemployment levels spiked, banks went under, it was chaos and meanwhile the Monroe situation sat idly by offering only pity for those out of a job. Another negative event during Monroe’s time in office was his dealings during the Seminole Wars and the Spanish who were also involved. Controversy surrounded Monroe when Andrew Jackson supposedly under orders of Monroe attacked parts of the Spanish controlled Florida. Tensions became high between America and Spain and it was all due to a mishap, miscommunication, or just Monroe’s inability to control his army. This slight mix up could have thrust a still recovering America into war and did not look good on Monroe’s behalf.
On the Positive side Monroe did accomplish quite a few good things in his time too. One of the first things he did as president of America was launch national tours in which we traveled around giving speeches and meeting with everyday citizens. This however small feat had a big effect: it reduced political tensions and improved the sense of nationalism. His tours were so popular in fact that he decided to schedule two more. Monroe’s tours were an extension of the Era of Good Will and also lead to his reelection, a small but noble action. In addition to his trust building tours Monroe also managed to expand the Continental U.S.’s borders. After a short scuffle involving Andrew Jackson Spain and America were on negotiating terms and things went very well for the U.S. With the backing of his administration Monroe purchased Florida from the Spaniards for $5 million. This added to America’s size and also to its culture by integrating the natives and the remaining Spaniards into the growing nation.
Influential Action
The Monroe Doctrine definitely had lasting effects on Washington in the sense of American confidence. Even though America most likely could not have backed up their claims and the world knew that, it demanded other nations’ respect and makes America out to be a top contender. The statement also put a stop to European expansion in North and South America. Monroe starts this trend of America being the protector of freedom whether it be that of South America or the rest of the world. These standards stand true today as America still assumes the role of sticking up for the underdog and providing aid and assistance to countries in need.
Conclusion
Monroe was blessed with the economic growth and sense of nationalism following the War of 1812 and he managed to keep things that way for a while then the Panic hit and things went downhill fast. He did however manage to get things back to about where they were when he initially took office. Overall the nation wasn’t that much better off if not a little worse off as Monroe exited the Whitehouse as they were going in at least economically speaking. His popularity was not phased much by the happenings of his presidency and nationalism continued to prevail despite the growing sectionalism. Many volatile, unavoidable situations arose during his presidency and he handled them well thus earning him an A-.
Bibliography
"American President: James Monroe." Miller Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. <http://millercenter.org/president/monroe>.
Bailey, Thomas Andrew, David M. Kennedy, and Lizabeth Cohen. The American pageant. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.
"James Monroe." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Monroe>.
"James Monroe Biography." Biography.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/james-monroe-9412098>.
"James Monroe: Inaugural Address." The American Presidency Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. <http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=25807>.
"President James Monroe." The White House. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamesmonroe>.